Richard Bossert

With more than five decades of service in Fire, EMS, and emergency medicine, this presenter has dedicated a career to advancing prehospital care, leadership, and education. Beginning a career in 1970 as a volunteer with the Warminster Fire Department in Pennsylvania, he became a certified EMT in 1974 and a paramedic in 1980. He served with three career fire departments—Chester, Bensalem, and Philadelphia—and spent more than 30 years with the Philadelphia Fire Department, retiring in 2019 as Deputy Chief of EMS Operations. His experience also includes several years working in an inner-city emergency department, providing firsthand insight into both prehospital and hospital-based emergency care. A passionate educator, he has taught emergency medicine to providers at every certification level through several colleges and universities, including Penn State. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Pre-Medicine from The Pennsylvania State University in 1977, a Master of Science in Public Safety Administration from Saint Joseph’s University in 2003, and became Six Sigma Green Belt certified through Villanova University in 2012. Throughout his career, he has remained actively involved in local, state, and federal Fire, EMS, and Rescue initiatives, providing training, consultation, and leadership across the emergency services profession. A Pennsylvania-certified Fire/Rescue and EMS Instructor since the early 1970s, he has helped educate generations of emergency responders. He also served as the EMS Editor for Firehouse Magazine, authoring more than 25 published articles, and continues to serve as an expert consultant and witness in Fire and EMS legal cases.